Chanical



(No Model.)

F. M. CLARK. GHEOK PUNCH.

Patented Mar. 4, 1890.

N. PETERS. Pholc-Lkhognphur. \Vafiingicn. D. C.

UNITED STATES PATENT QFFICE.

FRANK M. CLARK, OF TILTON, NElV HAMPSHIRE, ASSIGNOR TO THE MF- CI-IANICAL SPECIALTIES MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF BOSTON, MAS- SACHUSETTS.

PUNCH.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 422,728, dated March 4, 1890. Application filed November 7, 1 889. Serial N0.329,523- (N0 model.)

To all whom it may concern: i

Be it known that I, FRANK M. CLARK, of Tilton, in the county of Belknap, State of New Hampshire, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in CheckPunches, of which the following is a description sufficiently full, clear, and exact toenable any person skilled in the art or science to which said invention appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specifioa-- tion, in which-- Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section of my improved check-punch; Fig. 2, a vertical transverse section taken on line a: w in Fig. 1; Fig. 3, a plan view of the indicatordisk removed; Fig. 4, a sectional elevation of the cutting-dies; Fig. 5, a sectional plan view of the bed-die; Fig. 6, an under side plan view of a portion of the indicator-disk, showing indentations therein arranged to form the numeral 1; and Fig. 7, a plan showing the numeral as punched in the check.

Like letters and figures of reference indicate corresponding parts in the different figures of the drawings.

My invention relates to a device for perforating the body of a bank check with nu-' inerals indicative of-the amount for which the check is drawn; and it consists in certain novelfeatures hereinafter fully set forth and claimed, the object being to produce a simpler, cheaper, and more effective device of this character than is now in ordinary use.

The nature and operation of the improvement will be readily understood by all conversant with such matters from the following explanations.

In thedrawings, A represents the body of the punch, which consists of a disk or bedplate supported on rubber cushions b. A vertically-arranged curved standardB is secured to the rear of the base A by a screwbolt (Z, its top projecting outward over the vertical center of said base. A plunger C is fitted to slide vertically and rotate in the outer end of the arm B, and is provided on its upper end with a milled actuatingwlisk f.

The indicator-disk D has a central opening g, surrounded by a hub, by which it is secured in a horizontal position to the lower end of the plunger below the arm 13. Said disk is provided in its periphery with twelve equidistant notches 1, in which a spring-cushioned pawl h takes to prevent said disk from accidentally rotating while the plunger isbeing depressed. On the upper face of the disk opposite the notches the ten numerals are arranged consecutively, and opposite the re-. maining two notches the symbol indicating dollars and a device indicating a blank or period are respectively disposec A horizontally-arranged blgck j is secured to the stand ard B above the base A by a screw-bolt k. Two parallel plates m p are riveted, respectively, to the upper and lower faces of said block, and a screw bolt q passes vertically through said plates and block into the base A. The plate 19 is parallel with the upper face of the base A, but not in contact therewith. The lower end of the plunger is reduced at r and slides in a suitable opening in the plate m, the shoulder thus formed being adapted to engage said plate and act as astop for preventing the plunger from being depressed too far. A vertical stud 1; is secured on the plate 19, and a cap w is fitted to slide vertically thereon. The cap rests on a coiled spring 3 disposed on the stud, and projects upward through an eccentric opening in the plate m into engagement with the lower face of the indicator-disk, serving as an elastic cushion for returning the plunger when depressed. In the outer ends of the plates m p a series of twentyeight holes ,2 are formed, arranged in a rectangle, as shown in Fig. 5.

A series of twenty eight pins H are fitted to slide vertically in the holes 2 of the plates m 10, said pins forming the cutting-die, which is actuated by contact with the disk D when the plunger is depressed. The pins pass through suitable openings in a horizontal plate 16,secured to the spring-cap w, and are each provided with a shoulder 15, engaging the upper face of said plate, whereby they are returned after having been indicator disk. A horizontally adjustable guidmplate 17 for the check is secured to the face of the body A by thumlyscrews 18 at each side of the standard 13. A horizontallyarranged plate 19 is secured in the base A across the top of an opening 20 in said base,

depressed by the I bed-die 19.

said plate having pin-holes z in alignment with those of the plates m p and forming the bed die of the punch. A pivoted lid 21 closes the bottom of the opening 20, which forms a chamber for receiving the pieces of paper punched from the check by the pins.

The inner face of the disk is provided with openings 25 below each numeral for receiving the tops of a determined number of the pins H and render them inoperative. The tops of the remainder of the group of pins come into direct contact with the face of the disk when depressed, and are driven thereby downward through the check into the pinholes in the plate 19. The perforations thus made in the check form a line indicating the numeral on the disk which is above the pins when the disk is actuated.

The check K in the use of my improvement is inserted below the plate 19 until. it meets the guides 17. The disk D is then rotated until the numeral thereon with which it is desiredto perforate the check is over the pins H, as shown in Fig. 7. The numeral 1 is taken for illustration. A sufficient number of perforations 25 are formed in the disk below said numeral to receive the upper ends of all the group of pins H, excepting such as are required to form the numeral 1, as shown in Fig. 6. The plunger being depressed, these pins are driven thereby through the check into the corresponding holes 2 in the A feed mechanism P for the check consists of a bell-crank lever 50, pivoted to the block j, one arm thereof projecting into the path of the plunger. A spring 51 holds said arm in engagement with the lower end of said plunger. A similar lever 52 is pivoted centrally to the outer arm of the lever 50, and is provided on its upper armwith a counter-balance 53, its opposite arm being provided with a pivoted shoe 54-, having a corrugated or flexible face adapted to engage the face of the check. As the plunger is depressed the lever is actuated and the companion lever 52 drawn thereby into the position shown by dotted lines in Fig. 2. The plunger being returned by the spring'cap w, the spring 51 forces said levers outward anddownward, is be? in contact with the cijk, ctr-.20 .ust the base A, causing it to slide thereon a determined distance to take the numeral already formed therein from under the pins, so that a succeeding nusaid block, each of said plates being pro vided with a group of perforations in alignment with the perforations in the other plate, and the upper plate having a central aper ture and an eccentric aperture, a spring-cushioned cap on said stud extending through said eccentric aperture, a movable plate attached to said cap and provided with a group of holes in alignment with the holes in said fixed plates, a number of pins disposedin the holes of the plates, each of said pins being provided with a shoulder above said movable plate, a plunger guided in said standard, provided with a reduced lower end which enters the central opening of the upper fixed plate, an indicator-disk on said plunger provided with groups of perforations in its lower face for engaging said pins, saidindicator-disk being engaged by said spring-cushioned cap for raising it, and a check-pawlengaging said disk.

2. In a check-punch, the combination of a bed provided with a bed-die, a standard attached to said bed, a plunger guided in said standard and terminating above said bed-die, perforating devices actuated by said plunger, a bell-crank lever pivoted to said standard above the bed-die and having one arm extended under the lower end of saidplunger,

a platespring attached to said standard and having its upper free end engaging said arm, a counterbalance lever pivoted to the upper arm of said bell-crank lever, and a feed-shoe hinged to the lower end of said counterbalanced lever. I

' FRANK M. CLARK. Witnesses:

O. M. SHAW, K. DURFEE. 

